Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Pathways - Applicant Organization: Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana, Inc. d/b/a ASPIN Address: 850 N. Harrison Street Warsaw, IN 46580-3163 Website: www.aspin.org Project Director Information: Tiffany Hamilton, Email: thamilton@aspin.org Phone: 317-471-0000 Fax: 317-735-0019 The ASPIN Behavioral Health Career Pathways Program (ABHCPP) aims to expand the behavioral health workforce by providing behavioral health career pathway opportunities to youth in rural Indiana communities. development by creating sustainable career pathways for high school youth in rural Indiana. Through a multi-year initiative, ABHCPP will address critical behavioral health workforce shortages and support youth mental health by providing education, training, and peer-led engagement opportunities. Needs Addressed: Workforce Shortages: The ABHCPP will address the needs of the local rural communities and the existing behavioral health landscape. All 92 Indiana counties face a federally designated mental health workforce shortage. This shortage is exacerbated in rural communities with limited access to licensed mental health providers. By providing Certified Community Health Worker (CCHW) training and developing pathway programs into formalized training for youth interested in pursuing behavioral health careers, the ABHCPP aims to increase the supply of behavioral health providers in rural Indiana. Youth Mental Health: This project will address the need for peer-driven behavioral health efforts in rural Indiana. Youth in rural Indiana face heightened mental health risks and substance use challenges. ABHCPP will address these urgent issues by building the capacity of local youth to serve as future behavioral health professionals and peer leaders, while providing them with the training, skills, and knowledge needed to provide quality, trauma-informed peer-to-peer support in high school. Proposed Services: ASPIN will establish and expand pathway programs to introduce youth to behavioral health career and facilitate admittance into formalized training programs. As part of the Behavioral Health Career Pathways Program, students in rural high schools will receive Behavioral Health Career Pathway training, including career options and education requirements, as well as training and certification through ASPIN’s Community Health Program, an Industry Promoted, Preferred Graduation Pathways program through Indiana’s Career and Technical Education program. Students that participate in the Community Health Worker training and certification will be provided the opportunity for work-based learning in partnership with local high schools, and the ability to transition directly into the workforce through ASPIN U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program. The ABHCPP will engage youth to develop and implement trauma-informed, peer-driven behavioral health programming in rural communities. Targeted Service Area and Group Served The project will focus on the rural counties serving high school youth from both traditional and non-traditional learning environments by creating behavioral health career pathways and trauma-informed peer-driven programming. However, no individuals will be excluded from RCORP-Pathways activities based on age.
